Blue Moon at Shingle Street
31 Aug 2023
John Dryden took this spectacular photo of the special Blue Moon at Shingle Street. Visitors often remark how clear the skies are and how many stars they can see, which is due, at least in part, to the relative lack of light pollution - let's endeavour to keep it that way!
Jason
Convolvulus Hawkmoth
24 Aug 2023
A monsteer moth in the garden – a Convolvulus Hawkmoth, so called because its caterpillars feed on common bindweed (Convolvulus). This moth is a rare immigrant – crossing the channel from Europe – and it's my first record in my garden. It looks surprisingly fresh, considering that journey!
Jeremy
Pied flycatcher
18 Aug 2023
A pied flycatcher by the allotment patch this afternoon, feeding actively and calling repeatedly. There has been a small fall of them on the east coast in the last few days.
Jeremy
Moth morning
16 Aug 2023
Perfect night for moth-trapping – warm, still and with some cloud to occlude the moon and stars. We had a rich haul in the morning – well over 60 species, including one new to me, with the egregious name Purple-backed Cabbage-worm Moth, but very beautiful despite that.
Jeremy
Toadflax
13 Aug 2023
Lovely display of toadflax on the beach side of the Coastguards Cottages. Best we've seen for years.
Jeremy
Red admirals
07 Aug 2023
Huge influx of red admirals in the last two days. There were about 80 of them on one buddleia in the garden. One interesting twist to this: the week before the storms here they had all been on the purple buddleia, this new influx were all on the white one, though both are still in flower. Different tastes for the new influx?
Jeremy
Hobby
25 Jul 2023
A hobby dashed over the seawall, scattering a big flock of starlings. Such an agile raptor, able to pick off swallows and swifts in flight, but had to settle for a stray starling today.
Jeremy
Pine hawkmoth
20 Jul 2023
A lovely pine hawkmoth, posing here on the only pine tree in my garden. The wings look a little blurred because it is vibrating them rapidly preparing to fly, but I caught it just in time.
Jeremy
Musk thistle
21 Jul 2023
Musk thistles, also known as nodding thistles – you'll see why from the image – are in flower by the roadside near the tennis court.
Jeremy
Graylings
17 Jul 2023
My favourite local butterfly has just emerged, right on cue in mid-July. There were at least half a dozen graylings flying round our garden in the sun this afternoon. They always rest with their wings tightly closed, so you only get to see the underside pattern on the wings but the patterning is very subtle. They also have the attractive habit of settling on garden chairs and tables, or even on your arm, so you can at least get a good look at thm.
Jeremy
